


So Stubborn

by dboys



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Stupid Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 11:56:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4834427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dboys/pseuds/dboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To: King<br/>Listen, I’m really sorry about today. I know you’re probably still pissed, but please let me call and make it up to you. I promise I won’t say anything bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Stubborn

**Author's Note:**

> this is honestly so stupid and isn't edited at all
> 
> i love these stupid nerds
> 
> [now with a continuation B)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4888807)

They were alone.

It was unplanned and they were alone.

Within the week, the five first years had planned to go get ice cream together, more as a “we’ve done well studying, here’s a treat” kind of deal for themselves.

First, Yamaguchi called in the morning, saying he was sick and couldn’t make it. Tsukishima had decided he wouldn’t go either, then, but Yamaguchi had insisted, saying “just because I can’t go doesn’t mean you shouldn’t”. It wasn’t his best decision, but he gave in nonetheless so reluctantly made his way to the ice cream parlor no more than two miles away from his house.

He had been the first one there, waiting awkwardly against the lamppost that stood in front of the shop, pulling up his headphones.

Tsukishima must have been waiting about ten minutes before someone tapped on his shoulder, it was too rough to be Yachi and too tall to be Hinata, so it must have been…

“King…” Tsukishima muttered, looking at Kageyama with a bored and unimpressed expression. “What are you doing here alone? Would have thought you’d show with the other two.”

Kageyama grunted. “They couldn’t make it… Something about Natsu getting glue in Hinata’s hair and Yachi staying behind to help out.” He mumbled. “I didn’t know Yamaguchi wasn’t going to be here either.”

“Yeah, well, neither did I.” He grumbled. “I’m not eating ice cream only with you, goodbye.” Tsukishima turned to start walking back home.

Kageyama latched onto his arm, pulling him back. “I did not travel ten miles just to do it right again.” He huffed.

“The King doesn’t enjoy giving up on the common folk, how heartwarming.” Tsukishima said bluntly. “However, I have no intention of dining with royalty, you probably don’t think I’m worth it either.” He tried to pull away, Kageyama kept his grip.

“Will you stop calling me that?!” He said loudly. If it were any louder, people would start staring. “I just don’t want a pointless trip, if I’m going to waste money on a bus fee I might as well get something out of it, okay?”

“You can do it by yourself then, it’s not like you’ve never done that before.”

Kageyama’s hand went limp, falling from Tsukishima’s elbow and down to his side. He stared at Tsukishima blankly. “That was uncalled for. Even for you.” His voice cracked and Tsukishima knew he had gone too far.

Kageyama stood, staring at the ground with a pathetic expression. Tsukishima felt twisted for not even feeling bad. He knew he should have apologized, he didn’t want to, especially not to Kageyama.

They stood there in silence, Tsukishima staring at Kageyama, Kageyama still staring at the ground.

“I’m sorry.” Tsukishima finally mumbled. “I went too far, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Well, it’s too late for that.” Kageyama responded. “I’m just gonna go home now, thanks for nothing.” He said coldly, jerking himself around to walk in the direction he had come from.

A pang of guilt hit Tsukishima. Normally, he would have just brushed it off. Probably wouldn’t even feel guilty about it. However, it was a different feeling when it was just the two of them, he felt responsibility for the way Kageyama was feeling.

Finally, Tsukishima’s limbs were thinking for him and he was grabbing onto Kageyama like he had done before, pulling him back. “Please. Let me make it up to you, I’m really sorry.” It was hard to get out, but he said it, hoping to get Kageyama in a better mood. Or, as best a mood Kageyama could be in, that is.

Kageyama didn’t make an attempt to pull away, but he didn’t make an attempt to talk either, he just stood there silently, looking at the hand gripped onto his arm.

“I’ll buy your ice cream.”

Kageyama took a deep breath before finally looking Tsukishima in the eye. “Fine.”

-

-

Kageyama ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. So much money for simple ice cream, Tsukishima almost cried when he handed over the money.

They sat awkwardly outside of the shop, on the edge of the sidewalk with at least three feet in between them.

There was no conversation and the only noise came from those who passed them, Tsukishima could feel the confused stares of the others who witnessed them in this sad state.

Both finished their ice cream before anyone spoke.

“I’m gonna go now.” Kageyama stood, wiping his hands on his pants and stuffing them in his pockets. “Thanks for the ice cream.”

Tsukishima didn’t know how to respond to that, because from Kageyama’s tone, he knew he wasn’t being honest.

“Wait,” Tsukishima got to his feet, scrambling after Kageyama. “I’m sorry.”

Kageyama still didn’t answer.

“Why does the King—“ Tsukishima stopped himself before he could let himself screw up again. By now it was just instinct to call Kageyama “King”. He knew it bothered him, that’s why he did it, but seeing the way it actually affected him made Tsukishima think twice, he didn’t want Kageyama to have that look, even if he couldn’t see it. It was the same look Yamaguchi used to get when he was bullied in middle school, Tsukishima didn’t want that for anyone, much less being caused because of him. “I bought you ice cream, what more can I do to make it up to you?”

“You could just leave me alone.”

While that was true, Tsukishima knew that that wouldn’t really resolve anything on his conscience. “I mean for real.” He tried to smile, going to grab Kageyama’s shoulder.

Kageyama stopped walking. “It’s okay, it’s fine, whatever, I’m used to it, especially from you so could you just let me be miserable in peace for once!?” He yelled, catching Tsukishima off guard.

Tsukishima stood there, stunned into silence as Kageyama broke away from him with a jerk and stuffed his hands into his pockets once again, walking forward with not so much as a glance back.

-

-

“I upset the Ki—I upset Kageyama.” Tsukishima spoke into the phone, on the other line with Yamaguchi. The matter had been eating away at him so he decided to call Yamaguchi a few hours after he returned from the “ice cream catastrophe”.

“How’d you do that?” Yamaguchi asked. “You don’t really care about that stuff anyways, so why are you worried about it?”

“It was only Kageyama and me who went, Yachi and Hinata couldn’t make it and Kageyama didn’t want to make that long trip for nothing so I said some shitty things like usual but it actually upset him this time, like he actually looked crushed and then he yelled at me when I tried to apologize and I don’t know what to do about it now.” Tsukishima took a deep breath while the other line remained silent.

“You screwed up.” Yamaguchi finally said.

“Yeah, like I didn’t already know that.” Tsukishima ran a hand through his hair, gripping at the back of his head and letting out a breath of frustration.

“Try calling him.”

“If he didn’t talk to me then, what makes you think he’d talk to me now?”

“You’ve been home for what, like two hours now? Maybe he’s cooled down.” Yamaguchi didn’t even say goodbye before hanging up and Tsukishima was left staring at his phone.

After a bit of thinking, Tsukishima finally decided to take the safe route and just text him.

**To: King  
Listen, I’m really sorry about today. ~~You already knew that but I know you’re being an ass about it so~~**

No, he couldn’t say it like that.

**To: King  
Listen, I’m really sorry about today. I know you’re probably still pissed, but please let me call and make it up to you. I promise I won’t say anything bad.**

Tsukishima pressed send before he could think about it anymore.

Within a few minutes he got a response.

**From: King  
ok.**

Tsukishima sighed at the unenthusiastic text but went to Kageyama’s contact to press the call button.

After about four rings, Kageyama picked up.

“What.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’ve already said that.” Kageyama’s frown was audible.

“I know, but you still haven’t said that you forgive me.”

“What’s the point of forgiving you if you’re just going to do it again?”

Of course this was the time Kageyama decided to use his brain.

“If you’re not going to say anything then—“

“Kageyama.” He cut off. “I promise I’ll never do it again, so please just forgive me.”

“Why are you trying so hard? Since when do you care about my wellbeing, anyone’s really, anyways?”

“What, do you think I’m some cold hearted bastard?”

“Yes.”

Tsukishima was stunned into silence.

“So yeah—“

“Thanks. Thank you, Kageyama, I’m glad to know that’s what you really think of me.” Before he could respond, Tsukishima hung up the phone and threw it aside. He knew it was coming, he knew that’s what most people thought of him and usually he didn’t care, but for some reason now it was just eating away at him and he felt the need to redeem himself. He felt angry at Kageyama even though he knew how nasty he was being in the first place.

It hurt.

It hurt and Tsukishima didn’t know why.

He had always found entertainment in “tormenting” people; it was just how he worked. He never thought of himself as a bully, never really thought of himself as anything period, but now that it was pointed out, he was more aware than ever.

And he didn’t like it.

-

-

The next few practices, Kageyama didn’t toss to Tsukishima once, Tsukishima didn’t bother to call for one. Their teammates had of course picked up on it immediately, the two people who were usually in the worst of moods were even worse so it left that tense aura in the room. It was like the others were now tiptoe-ing around them, making sure not to set off a land mine, they even sorted the practice into groups to avoid Kageyama and Tsukishima getting into any form of contact.

Finally after the end of the week, Suga approached Tsukishima.

“Did something happen between you and Kageyama?” He demanded, still with his usual sweet tone.

“What makes you think that?” Tsukishima scoffed, fumbling with his headphones cord.

Suga raised an eyebrow. “You can’t fool me. Just tell me what happened.”

Tsukishima hesitated. “We had a fight, nothing more than usual, no need to worry about it.” He mumbled.

“No,” Suga placed his hands on his hips, really reminding Tsukishima of his mother when she was angry. “Your usual is glaring at each other while you make smartass retorts, you guys are just full-out avoiding each other now, not even sparing each other a glance and it’s unsettling and needs to be resolved not only for you two, but for the rest of the team,”

Tsukishima opened his mouth to respond but Suga continued talking.

“You both are regulars, you both work really well together when you want to, and when you don’t it throws the rest of us off because who knows what would happen if we ticked you off enough.”

Finally there was silence and it was apparent that Suga was waiting for a response. “I’m sorry.” Tsukishima finally muttered.

“Say that to Kageyama, not me, I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”

There was silence between the two once again and this time Tsukishima merely nodded and wandered off in the opposite direction.

Before he knew it, he was approaching Kageyama who was fitting things into his bag by the benches. He waited for the other to notice him.

“What?” Kageyama stated bluntly, not even looking up.

“I’m sorry.”

“How many more times are you going to fucking apologize?” He barked. “I already said it’s fine, you don’t have to keep that up just to make yourself feel better.”

Tsukishima took a deep breath. “It’s obviously not fine and Sugawara-san said we needed to make up or we’ll break the team’s flow or something.” He crossed his arms, looking away from Kageyama. “I’m not trying to be best friends with you by any means, hell we don’t even have to be close to friends, I just need you to be able to get along with me, okay?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“I don’t know why you’re being such an ass about this! It was a simple sentence that you usually wouldn’t take personally anyways so I don’t know why you are now!”

“You want to know why?!” Kageyama growled, standing up straight. “Because out of all people, I thought you did those things to try and make me a better player, I thought you were like Kuroo-san and used provocation as means of encouragement. I didn’t know you actually meant them like that. I knew you didn’t like me, but I never thought it was like that.” He was breathing heavily by the end.

Tsukishima had no words.

Kageyama angrily stomped off to the volleyball basket, rolling them over to the storage closet. Without thinking, Tsukishima followed.

“Can you stop following me? You’re acting like Hinata when he wants a toss.” Kageyama muttered, fitting the basket into its place.

Tsukishima was about to respond, but then the supply closet doors were slammed behind them.

All conversations put aside, Tsukishima was pulling at the door and after a second Kageyama joined him, knocking loudly. “What the hell!? Let us out!” Kageyama yelled.

“We’re not letting you out until you two make up!” A muffled Hinata voice said.

“Hinata, I will not resist punching you.” Kageyama growled.

“Don’t blame me! It was Yamaguchi’s idea!”

A hushed “don’t tell them that part!” was heard as well, Tsukishima pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. How could his best friend do this to him?

There was silence and after about a minute Tsukishima hoped that they had left the door and maybe even had it unlocked. Unfortunately, when he tried it, it still was locked.

“Just accept my apology so we can get out of here.” Tsukishima muttered, leaning against the door and sliding to sit down. He held his knees to his chest.

Kageyama stood there with what seemed to be an angered expression. With Kageyama you could never really tell what his facial expressions meant, it always looked somewhat angered.

“Well?”

He scrunched his nose, staring at the ground with knitted eyebrows. “What.”

“I don’t really know why you’re being so stubborn about this, I’ve sincerely apologized multiple times, why won’t you just say ‘it’s okay’?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Tsukishima deadpanned, staring at Kageyama.

“ _I don’t know_.”  Kageyama confirmed with a harsher tone in his voice.

Tsukishima sighed, getting up to look around the supply closet. “If we’re in here for too long they’re going to think we started making out or something.” He grumbled, picking up a volleyball. He thought about throwing it at Kageyama.

Kageyama hesitated too long for it to be a genuine reaction. “Gross.”

Deciding to ignore it, Tsukishima paced in the small closet, turning the ball in his hands as Kageyama remained standing where he had been the whole time.

“Tsukishima?”

Tsukishima stopped and turned to face Kageyama. “What?”

“Do you actually hate me?”

It was such an odd question. Everyone knew that Tsukishima didn’t like many people, even if he spent nearly every day with them, even if they had to get to know each other since they’re on the same team. “Um…”

“Okay.”

Kageyama actually sounded dejected. Like he was actually looking for a positive answer. Tsukishima felt bad because the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn’t hate Kageyama, maybe even more than merely tolerating him.

Of course, now that he realized that, he couldn’t simply tell that to Kageyama.

“I don’t hate you.” Tsukishima mumbled.

“Then why are you so mean to me?”

Tsukishima huffed out a laugh. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Because I don’t have good control over my temper, the more I’m irritated with you, the more I care for you, I don’t know how to show affection, that’s just what I naturally do.” Kageyama said it so smoothly, so easily, it made Tsukishima think he wasn’t the dumb, volleyball loving freak that he usually was.

“I guess I’m the same.” Tsukishima responded after a long pause.

Kageyama approached Tsukishima, standing right in front of him and Tsukishima’s breath hitched.

“What are you doing?” He asked defensively.

“Whenever I go over to Hinata’s house, his sister and him always end up fighting, but after a while they make up and give each other hugs,” He mumbled, sticking his arms out. “So since we’re making up, hug.”

Tsukishima never thought of Kageyama as one to initiate a hug. The guy didn’t even know how to high five until recently. Tsukishima wasn’t really one for physical contact either, however, if it meant that Kageyama was finally going to accept his apology then he’d do it. “Okay…”

Awkwardly, Tsukishima reached out his arms as well and closed the distance between them, wrapping their arms around each other.

“I think they’ve been in there long enou—oH!” Yamaguchi yelled after opening the door.

Just… perfect… timing…

Quickly the two broke away from each other, Tsukishima could feel his entire body turning red.

“I’m sorry!” Yamaguchi yelled, closing the door on them.

“Yamaguchi open the door!” Tsukishima yelled, banging on said door as he heard his best friend stuttering out to the others what he had just saw.

This time, Suga opened the door with a large grin on his face and Tsukishima and Kageyama awkwardly walked out of the supply closet.

“So, I’m guessing you two made up?” Hinata asked, trying to hide his laughter.

“I will kill you.” Kageyama practically growled.

Tsukishima felt laughter bubbling up in his throat. Hinata was practically the reason to blame for them hugging which resulted in them getting caught in that awkward situation in the first place.

Tsukishima touched Kageyama’s shoulder, Kageyama turned to him confused. “There, there,” He said in a mockingly comforting tone. “You should be thanking Hinata.”

The others stared at them in confusion, but Tsukishima could tell that Kageyama understood and that’s all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> p sure they ended up getting extremely out of character around the end, srry
> 
> thank you for reading, comments and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [my tumblr](http://hqhaikyuu.tumblr.com/)


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